Matthew 23:1-12
Practice What They Say
Read the passage
1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples:
2“The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.
3So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
4They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
6They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,
7the greetings in the marketplaces, and the title of ‘Rabbi’ by which they are addressed.
8But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
10Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ.
11The greatest among you shall be your servant.
12For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Jesus speaks to the crowds and his disciples about the scribes and Pharisees. He says they sit on Moses' seat, so the people should practice what they teach, but they should not imitate what they do because they preach without practicing.
Jesus says these leaders tie up heavy burdens and lay them on other people's shoulders, while they themselves are unwilling to move them. They make their religious actions visible, enlarge their prayer boxes, lengthen their fringes, and love the places of honor and respectful greetings.
Jesus tells his disciples not to be called rabbi, father, or instructor in a way that turns a human leader into the household's ultimate authority. They have one Father in heaven and one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among them must be a servant.
The warning is not against every teacher, parent, or leader. It is against authority that seeks honor while avoiding responsibility. Jesus distinguishes between words that are true and lives that contradict them.
The closing principle is clear: whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. A family can ask whether its influence is making other people freer to obey God or more burdened by our demands.
Questions
1 Where do the leaders' teaching and practice come apart?
AnswerThey tell others what to do but do not practice it themselves. They place heavy burdens on people while refusing to help carry them.
2 Why does Jesus remind His disciples that they have one Teacher?
AnswerChrist is their Instructor, and they are brothers under one heavenly Father. Titles and public honors cannot make one disciple the ultimate authority over the others.
3 How should authority become humble service?
AnswerA servant helps people obey God instead of seeking admiration. That means practicing what we ask of others and taking a share of their burdens.
4 Which household rule needs to be matched by our own example?
AnswerAdults can ask where their rules create needless burdens, then model the obedience and service they expect from children.
What This Means for Us
Jesus does not say that a leader's hypocrisy makes every true teaching false. He tells the people to practice what accords with God's truth while refusing to copy the teacher's behavior. That requires discernment rather than either blind loyalty or blanket cynicism.
Heavy burdens can hide inside family rules, church expectations, and unspoken standards. A parent who demands patience while shouting, or a leader who requires sacrifice while protecting personal comfort, is teaching a lesson through actions that contradict words.
Humility does not mean refusing every responsibility. It means remembering that no human voice is God and that authority exists to serve. Healthy leaders invite questions, accept correction, and help carry what they ask others to bear.
Ask, “Where do my expectations exceed my example?” Name one burden to remove or share, and make the change visible through action.
Prayer
Father, make our words and lives agree. Keep us from loving status, help us carry the burdens we place on others, and teach us to exercise authority as humble service under Christ. Amen.